At this point in the aggravatingly slow process of improving this state's public education system, we'll take whatever positive action we can get.

A baby step came Monday when the state Board of Education sort-of adopted tougher course requirements for high schools.

Before anyone pops champagne corks and begins to revel too much in this success, let's look at how far we have to go to get from where we are to the particular promised land that a properly educated populace could inhabit.

According to a report made to the state Board of Education Advisory Committee last year, the vast majority of high schools in this state are failing to even provide the state-mandated 38 courses each year. Seventy-seven meet the minimum, and a pitiful 18 more offer a "rich" curriculum. In the Arkansas River Valley, only Lamar made the "adequate" list, and Russellville was the lone district to offer a "rich" curriculum. Every other district offers a "limited" curriculum, defined as falling short of the existing low state mandates.

Absurdly, some administrators, teachers and parents have questioned why a district would need to offer all those courses, contending that no students would want to take challenging courses beyond the standard fare. With reasoning like that, it's no wonder this state's education system is in shambles.

The board has mandated that each school district offer more courses to more students. What does that mean to the couple hundred high schools that are offering a "limited" curriculum? Advocates of a strong public education system for all students in this state can hope that it means that schools will no longer be able to shirk their responsibility to their constituents.

Here's the list of mandated courses. Offer them.

Don't have enough teachers? Hire them.

Don't have enough classrooms? Build them.

Don't have the proper pieces of equipment? Buy them.

Period.

Can't do those things? Lock the door and send the students to a school that can.

Period.

Every student deserves the same opportunity as the next. Until we are ensuring that simple standard, we are failing our young people.

Given the choice between cake and oatmeal for breakfast, children will choose cake every time. It's up to the adult, the guardian as it were, to mix the oatmeal, despite the cries of the child. Unfortunately, the adults in this state have for too long wittingly served up cake in the form of unequal and inadequate schools. How could they expect educationally healthy children?

We, the adults, can no longer abdicate our responsibility to each and every student. That responsibility includes an equal and adequate public school education for every young person in this state.

The board's action began down the road toward providing an equal education. Once we are providing that, we can then focus our energies on adequacy.